Cafe Medi

Cafe Medi is one of the most beautiful restaurants I have set foot in, in NYC. When you walk in you’re eye is immediately drawn past the dimly lit bar and the wine bottle filled inset bookshelves to the brilliantly bright naturally lit via a ceiling comprised of windows dining area—I don’t even know if that can be called a “skylight” perhaps more of a “glass ceiling”. Either way, the light pours in refracting through some of the most beautiful tiered chandeliers comprised of bulbous lights, bounces against a mediterranean styled blue, tan and white hand-painted mosaic embellished wall that is at least thirty feet tall. It’s breathtaking. A mix of communal table and tables meant for small groups, the space, designed by Lazaro Rosa-Violan Studio from Barcelona, Spain, teleports you straight out of New York to a mediterranean world unto its own.

Get lost in their incredible cocktails. Feast on their incredible seafood. Chit chat with their incredibly sweet servers and beyond generous owners—honestly, "sweet" and "generous" doesn’t quite cover it, but a more loving word has yet to pop into my highly caffeinated mind. Sadly, their chef was incredibly rude to me, boosted up on some sort of ego trip about me moving a shrimp in his salad before photographing it, so you know, that you, my lovely reader friends, could see that there were in fact shrimp in the dish, but alas having an ego was warranted because he put out amazing food. So, be safe and ignore him and indulge in his super delicious creations. On that note, definitely go for their Saturday brunch. I was able to sample a few dishes off of this season’s brunch menu, and friends, it’s really exciting. Do move Cafe Medi up on that list of “must visit restaurants” you are keeping in your phone. Aside from the incredible flavors, each dish’s composition is thoughtfully oriented. From the structural speck on the Croque Signore, to the angular architecture of the Anjou Pear French Toast, to the cascading layers of juicy meat in the Ribeye And Eggs, you’ll get the feeling that you’re eating art amongst art.